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COMING on PLASTIC. brass Reference W'UBHRLEm- ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

No' 464986' Patented Deo. 15, 1891 v n I v I I lW/f w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM E. OEHRLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGI'OR TO OEIIRLE BROTHERS & CO., OF SAME PLACE."

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 464,986, dated December 15, 1891. Application led September 14, 1891. Serial No. 405,840. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.'

'Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDWARD OEHRLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philad elphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Conductors, ot' which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to electric conductors which are adapted to be used more especially lin connection with electric-lighting systems where the current is distributed throughout the building or otherwise; and it has for its object to provide such a conductor which will be flexible and capable of bending withoutv injury, proof against moisture and dampness, as well as non-combustible, either from extraneous flame or interior heating, and at the same time shall be cheap in construction and effective in operation; and to these ends my invention consists in an electric conductor embodying the features of construction and arrangement substantially as hereinafter pointed ont.

The accompanying drawing shows a lperspective view of a portion of a conductor made in accordance with my invention.

It is a well-understood fact that in the growing use of electric lights and other electric translating devices,where they are distributed throughout a building or other places and where the current has to be subdivided and passed through the conductors to the translating devices, there is great liability to deterioration of the conduct-ors themselves, they being exposed to the elements, and there is, v

further, great liability to re arising from the use of improper conductors, and many build ings have been destroyed from this cause. This fact has been recognized by the public, and more especially by the electrical experts and the Board of Fire Underwriters, and it has been the object of many inventors to previde a conductor which shall answer the requirements and will be applicable to all conditions and applications in distributing electric current, and it is now requisite to meet these requirements that a moisture-proof, tireproof, and flexible electric conductor should be provided.

In my prior patent, No. 436,432, I have described and shown a conductor constructed with these objects in view, and my present invention is an improvement on such conductors.

In the drawing, A represents the metallic core or conductor, which may consist of one or more wires, preferably of copper, and having a certain amount of fiexibility in themselves. This core or conductor is covered by being wound or otherwise covered with a layer of some insulating material B, preferably of atibrous nature, as cotton. Over this insulating material I apply a coating C of some water-proof material which will eiectually prevent all moisture and dampness reaching the conductor orinsulating material thereon, and while various `Vmaterials may be used, I prefer a strip of rubber tape c, wound spirally around the conductor, having a full lap, so as to insure a complete covering of the insulating material and in order to Vfurther insure the proper union of the coils or laps of rubber I may apply to the edges some wellknown rubber cement, which will practically make a seamless cover for the core. Over this I preferably wind a thread of fiber c', having open spaces between the coils, and this thread or fiber will effectually secure the water-proof material and hold it in place on the conductor, even without the aid of the cement;

lbut it is evident that when both the cement -ductor and all possible danger of turning up of the edges or otherwise interfering with the moisture-proof covering isavoided. The conductor as thus constructed is then covered with some material D that will act as a preservative or protector to prevent the destruction of or injury to the water-proof and insulating material, and I have found that parafne or .ozocerite alone will accomplish this purpose to a greater or less degree; but I preferably use a compound of pax-anime or ozocerite with talcnin, tungstate of soda, and sulphate of aluminium, and while these may be used in various compositions, I prefer to use a compound consisting of about ninetyfive parts of paraine or of ,oz0cerite, two

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parts of sul hate of aluminium and two of miem mmm-stat. and this ma ria or compFu-rmmd in any suitable Way, preferably by passing or draw- -ing the wire through a bath of the material.

The conductor as thus preparedis then covered with some fibrous material E, such as cet-ten, and it is then treated with a bath' of d'n'e-proof matter, such as silicate of soda :o or otassiumz or theirequivalenfs. In some ins ances apply .the iireprooting material, more specifically set forth in my former patent above referred to, consisting, essentially, of a' composition of silicate of sodaI or equivalent, alum borax maofnesia renchchalks and as er-o -parisw ic ave onu orms an e ec ive reprooting composition. This fire-proof material is then subjected to a bath of sul hate of mavnesia or its equivalent, io zo mii-mmm soda,to prevent the soda or the alkalis from absorbing moisture from the air or otherwise being converted into a caustic material, which not' only discolors the covering of the wire subsequently z5 applied, but is apt to injuriously alect the waterproong material. In order, however, to more thoroughly prevent the fireproofing material from affecting the waterproofing material, I interpose the preservative or pro- 3o tective material D, above described,which I have found eectually prevents any injurious action on the waterproofing material or insulating material from the iireprooiingmateral. A conductor asjthus constructed is 3 5 then provided with a suitable covering to protect the reprooting material and prevent it from cutting or chang the exterior braiding or coating, and I preferably use a cotton Winding F,- and the conductor is then finished by 4o covering it with any suitable outside coating G, which may be a braiding of any desired color or thickness. p

While I have thus specifically described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that the details may be varied by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention-as, for instance, more than one coating of the fire-proof material or insulating 5o material may be applied to the conductor and other variations may be made which will readily suggest themselves; but it will be seen that I produce an eiective conductor which is flexible, is properlyinsulated and protected 5 5 against deleterious influences of moisture, and

is non-inflammable, While the waterproofingl material is fully protected from injury or destruction by the reprooling material, which latter has beena great source of destruction 6o and injury to conductors as heretofore prepared.

Parafline and ozocerite and similar substances have been used for insulating pur poses; but they are open to the objection that they are not Iire proof and are liable to burn, and for this reason cannot properly be used outside of the reproofing covering; but I have discovered that they perform the important function of protecting thewaterprooting material from the i fluences et' the tireprcefing material, and, being covered by the ireproofing material, their use is not objectionable as a preservative in the manner set forth by me.

1,'A flexible electric conductor consisting of a core covered with an insulating material, a moisture-repellent material, and an insulatin g fire-proof material and having an interposed protective coating between the moisture-repellent material and the re=proot material, substantially as described.

2. A flexible electric conductor consisting of a metallic core covered with insulating material, a moisture-repellent material, a protective coating of paraine, an insulating fireprooting material, and an exterior braiding covering, substantially as described.

3. In a flexible electric' conductor having an insulating-coating, a moisture-repellent covering, and a reproofing material embracing the silicates, an interposed protecting-covering consisting of a compound of parafline, ozocerite, talcum, tungstate of soda, and sulphate of aluminium, substantially as described] 4. In a flexible electric conductor, a core.

covered with insulating material, a waterproof coating consisting of a strip of rubber Wound spirally thereon, means for securing the rubber to make a water-proof covering, a protective coating of paraine or equivalent for the water-proof material, and a coating of tire-proof material applied above the protective coating, substantially as described.

5. Au electric conductor consisting of a core, an insulating fibrous material applied thereto, a water-proof coating consisting of strips of rubber arranged spirally thereon, threads wound over the rubber to retain it in position and to receive and hold the protective covering, a protective covering of parane, a fireproof covering of silicate of soda, a coating of fibrous material applied thereto, and an exterior braided covering, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. E. OEHRLE.

Witnesses:

J. S. BARKER, F. L. FREEMAN. y

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